How Green Becomes Wood

Of course, Dark and Daizi both joined the twins for both movies, although Daizi occasionally stepped away to feed Ivy. She sincerely hated having to scurry off to another room anytime Ivy was hungry, but she understood it made the twins uncomfortable, and when they were all engaging in a family activity, she knew it was absurd to tell them they needed to leave when it was so much eaiser to slip away.

Come Christmas morning, though, the twins didn't need to worry about waking Daizi. Dark was alseep--a Christmas miracle--but Daizi had spent much of the early hours of the morning gently pacing the house with Ivy, who entered the holiday fussy. Since being held, rocked, and bounced soothed her, Daizi had snuck downstairs with her, and would normally pass her off with Dark, but he was really, really asleep, which was rare for him, and she wouldn't be the one to take it from him. She was sitting in the dark, except for the tree, because she never thought to turn on the lights, and hearing the twins rustle around in the kitchen said from the shadows, "Good morning, Merry Christmas!"
 
Alec nearly choked on his scrambled eggs, and Xander almost dropped his plate, swearing quietly. Both were now even more awake than before and trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush.

"Good morning, Mama!" Alec gasped, half coughing. "I didn't notice you there."

"You fit the creepy hag phase well," Xander grumbled, scowling as his jostling movement made the syrup on his toasted frozen waffles slide into his eggs.

Alec set his plate aside and got a drink before asking, "How long have you been up?"
 
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you!" Daizi exclaimed quickly, coming closer to the kitchen to where she, hopefully, could be seen, "I didn't realize you couldn't see me. And I've been up for... awhile. Ivy isn't sleeping too well tonight, but I think I finally got her down... How about you, how did you both sleep?"
 
"Better than you, it sounds like," Xander said.

Alec grinned. "Merry Christmas!" he whispered as loud as he dared. Then he asked, "Would you like for me to take her a bit?"
 
At Alec's question, Daizi's shoulders slumped forward and she exhaled with deep relief, "Yes, please. Every time I try to set her down she wakes up and cries again and I'm back where I started, and I don't want to wake Dark because it's been weeks since he slept so well." In truth, a few times she had crept upstairs to make sure he was still breathing because of how asleep he managed to be.
 
Alec took Ivy and crooned to her gently for a moment. "If all she needs is held and not fed or changed, I can look after her if you want to rest for a while," Alec offered. "An early morning nap!"

"We'll just be here staring at the tree," Xander nodded.
 
"She's had both recently," Daizi yawned, "so as long as we can get her to stay asleep, it should be fine. Why are you both up so early, by the way? You're not normally awake so soon. Is it just the holiday spirit?"
 
Alec cradled Ivy in his arms, rocking her gently. "Holiday spirit," he agreed. "You go on to sleep. We've got this! And if we don't, you're an Ivy cry away."

"Enjoy a good nap," Xander said with a nod.
 
"She eats every three hours," Daizi said, scratching the back of her head, "so you should be good for about another two. I'll set a timer. Well, I mean, I guess she's the timer. Okay. Thank you." She lay her hand on Alec's arm, then briefly caressed Ivy's cheek, "Merry Christmas. You might need to walk with her, she's always been soothed by that, even before she..." She shrugged her shoulders and made herself go upstairs. For one thing, she didn't want to ruin Xander's Christmas by referencing her pregnancy, but also she knew the time she had to sleep was dwindling and she shouldn't waste it. Plenty of times she had left the twins in charge of watching Ivy, so Daizi wasn't concerned, but it had been a long and stressful morning.
 
"Sweet dreams!" Alec called softly. He smiled down at Ivy. "Well, I hadn't meant to spend Christmas morning with just us three kids, but from what I hear, this is pretty common."

"True," Xander said. He picked up Alec's plate and offered him a bite. "At least we're eating breakfast unlike others."

Alec walked Ivy slowly, talking about this and that as he looked at the brightly lit tree. Xander stayed where he was, feeding Alec a bite of breakfast each time he passed until both had their fill. Then Xander went to wash the plates while Alec continued to walk in the living room.
 
Daizi crawled inside her bed and wrapped her arms around her sleeping bear of a husband, taking on the role of big spoon. Before falling asleep, she kissed his shoulder and smiled as he shifted against her. Downstairs, Ivy only slept for another hour before waking up, but she only fussed briefly before recognizing where she was and who she was with before settling back down, content and unaware of the strife she had caused her mother that morning.

Another hour later, she was fusing for food and Daizi was hurrying downstairs to retrieve her with Dark following her. For the first time in months he had slept for five hours straight, which filled him with mild shame because he only got that sleep because Daizi had taken over full baby care for that time, and he felt he hadn't pulled his weight.

"Call it a Christmas gift," She told him, taking Ivy from Alec, "Thank you so much, Habibi, I really needed that."
 
"You're welcome!" Alec assured her, patting Ivy's leg in parting. "Merry Christmas, and good second morning! Good morning, Baa!" He grinned at Dark teasingly.

"Who wants breakfast first, and who wants to open gifts first?" Xander called from the kitchen.
 
"I am not a sheep," Dark replied, looking visibly more well rested than he had since Ivy was born, "Merry Christmas. We should probably eat first, we cannot open presents without Daizi but she has to nurse and you both do not like to be around for that."

"You eat," She said, waving her hand as she headed to the stairs, "I'll have breakfast while we open presents, that way you both won't have to wait too long on us."
 
Xander and Alec glanced at each other, and without saying a word knew that they would most definitely not be opening gifts without Daizi. Unless she was going to try to eat breakfast while opening gifts? That did not sound exciting. So, they set about getting breakfast ready for Dark and Daizi, but they stalled as much as possible with Alec chatting incessantly with Dark and trying to distract him. If it took them long enough to put breakfast together, then they wouldn't be finished before Daizi came down, and then they would have an excuse to wait until after she finished eating to go open gifts.
 
The whole time the twins were making breakfast, Dark attempted to help, if they let him. He didn't mind the clearly delayed breakfast, he understood they were waiting for Daizi to come back. He preferred eating with her, anyway, and it was a minor frustration that every three hours she had to walk away, leaving conversations unfinished. It would be better if she could nurse around them, but they both knew the twins weren't comfortable with that, and she was more comfortable in a different room than she was with a blanket thrown over herself and Ivy.

Sometimes he would follow her upstairs, but it was Christmas morning and he wanted to be with his boys, especially since it was their holiday.

Soon enough, thankfully, Daizi rejoined them, and she lay Ivy down in the cradle before coming to sit at the table.
 
The twins had barely sat down when Daizi reappeared, and Alec nearly hopped up again in excitement.

"We kept it warm for you," he said cheerfully, as if they hadn't been delaying, and he set a plate in front of her. "We already ate earlier, so now it's just the adults starving for food."

Xander grinned and helped himself to the fruit plate.
 
"They were up absurdly early," Daizi told Dark as she took her seat, "It's been years since I've been been up at that hour unless I'm catching a flight or kept awake with Ivy."

"I hear that is a common syndrome this time of year," Dark replied, pushing his hair back. As he did, he realized for the first time how much longer it had grown. Normally, he cut his hair every eight weeks, and he was supposed to go the week Ivy was born, which obviously didn't happen, so he hadn't gotten it cut since... August? He had been too sleep deprived to notice just how much it had grown out until now.

"It must be," Daizi said, "we'll have to put out snacks so you both don't get hungry too soon before lunch."
 
"I think we'll be alright," Alec assured her. He glanced toward Xander. "Well, I'll be alright."

Xander snorted at him. "Right. Your stomach won't be growling at all."

Alec giggled at that. "Maybe, but it'll be worth it!"
 
"Okay," Dark said, with a slow shrug of his shoulders, "I suppose then I will not bother with making Christmas cookies, if you are not interested in snacks. I will go to the store tomorrow to return the tree-shaped cutters I bought."

Daizi nodded solemnly, "I mean, that's the only option. If it will be worth missing the snack, then there is no point in making a snack."
 
Both twins looked at Dard in abject horror. Not the cookies!

"You got cookie cutters?" Alec whispered.

"Christmas cookies?" Xander whispered.

"You wouldn't take them back, would you?" Alec pleaded softly.

"I'll help make cookies! Unless you don't want me too," Xander bargained.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top